In Europe declawing isn’t an option because it’s been outlawed. Here in US pet owners have a decision to make. Many advocates believe it’s inhumane, but it may be tempting when kitty starts scratching at your couch, your clothes, or even your children.
First you need to understand exactly what declawing entails. It’s not just filing down your kitten’s nails. She’ll actually do that for herself by scratching (hopefully a post you’ve provided!) Declawing is more like amputation since it removes the last joint on your cat’s paws. It’s pretty much like cutting off your fingers down to the knuckle The procedure is so controversial it inspired activists to form The Paw Project—a group that has attempted to outlaw declawing in the US.
Now consider the consequences:
Declawing is painful. Just one amputation is a lot to handle—imagine doing it ten times. During recovery your kitten will still need to walk around, jump, and use the litter box meaning she’ll be in agony.
Declawed cats can’t groom themselves properly. Cats use their claws to reach parts of their neck, head, and mouth.
Without claws cats can’t defend themselves. Even if she doesn’t come up against a predator often, she may need to protect herself from a stray dog if she somehow gets outside. Also, after declawing she’ll have difficulty jumping—which means you’re taking away some of her most important instincts as a cat!
A botched operation can cause serious infections or deformation. Her claws might even grow back—which means you wasted money and hurt her for nothing.
Without claws she can’t mark her territory—which is important for animals. You’re probably thinking you’d rather she didn’t “mark” her territory with scratches. It’s more than that since cats’ paws have scent glands.
Declawed cats may become biters. If she can’t scratch when she feels threatened she may bite instead—and you could be the victim. As we mentioned in a previous post about feline aggression, cats sometimes attack when they’re being pet because the sensation suddenly becomes annoying.
Declawing can create joint problems. She will walk differently when she’s missing the first joint of her toes, which can affect the joints in her legs.
At the end of the day it’s your choice to make. Although most advocates recommend against declawing for all the reasons above, you have the legal right to declaw your kitten once she’s older than 3–4 months. There are three ways to do the procedure:
- The Resco Clipper Method Your vet will use a sterile nail trimmer to cut through the bone of the third digit of the toe. He’ll use either a suture material or surgical glue to close the incision.
- The Disarticulation Method This one is a little more complicated. Your vet will use forceps and a scalpel blade to disconnect all the ligaments that hold the third bone in place and remove the bone entirely.
- The Laser Method Removing the claw with a laser minimizes bleeding and pain, however this procedure is quite expensive. It’s also dangerous since an inexperienced vet could burn the tissue.
What to Expect after Surgery
- All procedures require at least one night in the hospital—possibly two.
- During the first few days at home you may seem some blood coming from her toes. Light spotting is normal.
- You should use shredded paper or pelleted recycled newspaper litter for 10 days after surgery so she won’t get any pellets caught in the tiny incisions.
- You’ll likely need pain medication to help her deal with the discomfort.
If you decided against declawing you don’t need to admit defeat to her claws. Check out How to Teach Your Cat Not to Scratch Furniture for an alternative solution.
cat can so defend them selves if they are front declawed. I have three cats all front declawed and the still fight and defend with their back claws. they can also still clean thems selves perfectly well. my cats also jusmp very well so your wrong there also. they also have no problem with walking or running. So do the rest of the world a favor and get your facts straight before writing about the myths of declawing and stating them as fact.
Mary Bale the cat woman reminds me of a Bladerunner’s replicants – right after the ‘entre of boiled dog’ query in the Voight-Kampff test; “You find a cat alone in the street. You pet it, and then what?”
Declawing is cruel. You do it for yourself, not the cat. Cut your fingers off at the knuckles and tell me it is the same as having that part of your fingers. Go ahead….do it. Repost afterward and tell me how it feels.